It is really a “bustling”year for IT industry. Apple shook things up with the iPhone 4 and completely rejuvenated the tablet market with the iPad. Android continued its strong growth in the smartphone market. However, there are still some gadgets that embarrassed these technical giants.

Apple TV

Apple TV started shipping three years ago. However, its large size , significantly high price and hard-drive to store media locally lead to relatively lacklustre sales. In Sepetember this year, Apple Inc. relaunched the device with a smaller size and cheaper price($99).

Recently, Apple Inc. announced that its second-generation Apple TV was expected to reach its one millionth sale. If the device continues to sell a million units per quarter, it would amount to $400 million in annual revenue, just a drop in the bucket for a company expected to earn $88 billion in revenue in its fiscal year 2011.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, had previously called Apple TV “a hobby”. Well, a million sales is very tiny comparing with this giants’ strong sales of iPad and iPhone4.

Dell Aero

Launched in August this year, Dell Aero is the company’s first stab at the smartphone market (by Dell’s definitions, at least — the company released the Streak earlier, but it insists the 5-inch call-making device is a tablet and not a phone).

Since its launch,The Aero received many criticisms. It runs on Android 1.5，an early version of Google’s mobile operating system. For a brand new phone to be shipping with an out-dated version of Android is simply embarrassing, both to Dell and to the image of the Android.

GoogleTV

Google TV was co-developed by Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech. It integrates Google’s Android operating system and Google Chrome browser to create “a new experience for television”. Officially launched in October, Google TV has received weak reception. Major American networks have been reluctant to provide shows on Google TV. NBC, CBS, ABC and Hulu have blocked people from watching full-length shows on their Web sites using Google TV. Besides, its complex controller also scared away away many ordinary customers.

In December, Google has asked TV makers like Toshiba to delay the introduction of Google TV, putting the TV makers in an awkward position. Read the rest of this entry »

Google search, Google news, Google Chrome, Google e-book store…… Google “invade” into nearly every part of our networks. However, when this search giant tries to enter into our living room, it seems a little difficult.

Google TV is an internet-connected television platform. It was announced by Google on May, 2010 at Google’s Google I/O event and was co-developed by Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech. Google TV integrates Google’s Android operating system and Google Chrome browser to create “a new experience for television”.

At the early stage, only three gadgets have Google TV: a 46-inch Sony TV and two devices that put it on customers’existing TV, a Sony Blu-ray player and a set-top box from Logitech called the Revue. Google TV officially launched October 6, 2010 with devices from Sony and Logitech. Google TV was hailed as the new era in TV because it allowed viewers to watch stuff on their living room sets that had before been seen by watching on a computer screen.

Inside the device, Google’s Chrome browser allows consumers to browse web sites on a bigger screen and watch television in tandem. Partners have build applications that allow customers to access content in unique ways. Besides, Android and Apple phones can be used as remote controls for Google TV.

However, no matter how multifunctional and innovative the so called “smart TV” is, the masses are just not so eager to get one due to its limited content, complex operation and overhigh price.

The biggest drawback of the Google TV is its limited content. Some big Hollywood players, such as ABC, NBC and CBS and their associated cable networks, as well as Hulu, have generally blocked Google TV devices from accessing the videos they make available on the Web. So in terms of video content, users are left with far less than what they can get through Roku’s digital media players, or the Revue and one-fourth the cost of Sony’s Google TV Blu-ray player.

Therefore, the only major source of videos on the new service for users to use is Google-owned YouTube.

Read the rest of this entry »

The big news is - iTunes 8 is coming. Apple has published the latest iTunes, iPod and iPhone software at the Let's Rock on September 10, 2008.

iTunes 8 have some new features - Genius playlist and sidebar, HD TV shows and new ways to browse, all of these new features brings the new feeling to all the iTunes users.

The Genius playlist can create a playlist of songs that go great together and get recommendations for new songs. It feels like the function of social music platform, for example Pandora, Last.fm, etc.

The HD TV shows, it will be $2.99, and it can be watched on a Apple TV or computer. Another thing is the "NBC is coming back to iTunes", Steve Jobs said. And the shows will also be available in HD.

New ways to browse, with the new option of browsing, users can browse their music, movies and TV shows by cover art and sort them by albums, artists, genres and composers.

At this event, Apple also shows the newst iPod Nano, iPod Classic, iPod Touch to the world, it's so excited. If you are interest in these new products, please pay attention to our more reviews. You can download iTunes 8 HERE.